Everyday life includes many chores that need to be done on a recurring basis. Home and business owner's daily storage and the task of taking out the garbage can be particularly challenging. In most areas, homeowners need to take the trash cans to the curb for pickup by the municipal or private garbage collectors at least once and most often several times a week. This can mean carrying, or rolling several individual trash cans to the front curb, which can be anywhere from ten feet away from the house to several hundred feet away from the house.
For many homeowners this task is done early in the morning, rather than the night before pickup because animals, such as raccoons, fox, deer and the like often get into the trash cans and throw trash all over the lawn while looking for food. Currently, one of the only alternatives currently available to prevent waking up to a lawn full of trash is to take the trashcans to the curb the morning of pickup. Often, taking the trashcans to the curb the morning of pickup usually means it is done when the homeowner is dressed and rushing to work.
Individual trashcans with wheels are easier to get to the curb than non-wheeled trashcans since they do not have to be carried. However, the wheeled trash cans do very little to protect the cans from being toppled and opened by animals if left outside overnight. Some trash cans use the handles from which they are pulled to lock the cover of the trash can closed. Although a good concept, the handles are usually easily opened by determined rodents looking for their next meal and therefore are of little help.
Another problem associated with using individual trash cans is the fact that the homeowner can transport only one wheeled trash can at a time to the curb. Therefore, it is often necessary for the homeowner to make several trips to complete the task. Making several trips can be time consuming and depending on the distance and incline from the house to the curb can be exhausting. This fact alone makes the option of using individual trashcans less attractive than the trash cart of the present invention.
Between the assigned days for garbage pick up is the ongoing problem of daily garbage storage. Many people store garbage in their garage until pick up day. This often causes a space issue with cars and/or other items being stored as well as odors permeating the structure. Others opt to keep their garage outside using a multiple of solutions in order to ward off animals. This includes ropes and bungee cords attempting to secure the garbage and/or adding weighted objects to the top of the trash cans. Each time a homeowner adds trash, they must re-secure the trash can covers.
There are devices available today that are used to transport trash cans to the curb for pick up but these devices are not enclosed, leaving the trash cans/garbage exposed to animals. Since the trash cans are not protected against animals, these devices must be stored inside and therefore are only marginally better than individual wheeled trash cans and do not solve the problem of garage space.
Another problem faced by homeowners with trashcan transportation devices and trashcans available on the market today is that they are often unattractive. In stark contrast, the trash bin/cart of the present invention has decorative panels that can be used to either match or complement the building next to which it is stored.
Finally many of the transportation carts available on the market today are made of flimsy tube piping making the overall structure un-sturdy. Therefore in view of the foregoing shortcomings, what is needed is a trash bin that is sturdy enough to allow a homeowner to store their daily garbage, move the garbage to the curb easily, and store the garbage between pickup days without worrying about the animals getting into the trash. Additionally, the trash bin/cart system is decorative so as to complement a building when stored on the side of the house or left at the curb for pickup. The present invention contains all of these attributes and more and solves the problems and shortcomings described above.